It's been a while since I attempted an underwater render so I felt the time was ripe to dive back in. This time I wanted to use Plant Factory to create my undersea flora and fauna. I wasn't trying to model any real life organisms here, but rather create something fanciful and colorful.
I'm not 100% happy with how everything turned out (after MANY days of rendering at 8K on Bucephalus) but I do think it looks nice enough to share while I consider revisions. Let me know what you think!

Being a scuba diver I truly enjoyed this one Ryan. Quite reminiscent of being underwater and just floating around with the "fish". Thanks for this one.

Eyal

"Multi Screen please"

Thu March 8, 2018 at 0:10 am

Multi Screen please... Pretty Please??

Angelique

"Oceana"

Tue February 13, 2018 at 4:20 pm

I love the designs of the fish and sea turtle but it seems that every time you do an underwater scene it is always from further back and I'd prefer one with much closer views of the fish and honestly would love if it was just fish with not much else in the background. When there is a lot of coral and other stuff it is too busy to use for desktop wallpaper as I can't then see the icons as easily :(

Joshua

"Small Revision"

Thu February 8, 2018 at 7:25 am

I enjoy the render very much. I believe the only thing I would change is the color of the brown flowery things. I guess I just like ridiculous bright colors. Even though most of the ocean is nothing like that.

Ryan

"@docster"

Tue January 30, 2018 at 11:50 pm

I should refer you to my son Jason, who loves to point out such quirks of language :-) I would argue that if water is above you then you are underwater. Sand is also underwater of course...

docster

"Pair of pennies"

Tue January 30, 2018 at 11:24 pm

Just so the title of this review'll make some semblance of sense, I'll put my two cents in for a dual-screener.

By the bye, why do we call it "underwater" when it's "inwater"? "Underwater" is actually sand, isn't it?

Rodewaryer

"Agreed"

Mon January 29, 2018 at 8:44 pm

Almost there...plants in the foreground just don't work, anything further away does just fine and I don't see anything else that doesn't work. Still a fine scene all around though.

Bob

"Oceana"

Mon January 29, 2018 at 5:04 pm

Hi Ryan; given up multi-screens for this one? Hope not, as I would love to see even more undersea/coral reef scenes.

Eric

"2x/3x Screens ..."

Fri January 26, 2018 at 8:23 am

... is where this one belongs. Pleasssssse.

:)

MartyB

"Oceana1"

Thu January 25, 2018 at 6:57 pm

First member download, up on My 24 inch now - WOW!

Heather

"Oceana"

Wed January 24, 2018 at 1:36 pm

I would think that it doesn't have enough contrast. I would think that underwater the furthest distance would be deeper blues, blacks or purples. I don't mind the fish, actually. Someone suggested that the fish should move, that would be interesting to see, but I don't know if that would be compatible with what I have (I tried to download some of those wallpapers several years ago, and couldn't get them to work).

I love your work and have been a member for the last 8-10 years.

Jenanne

"Great!"

Wed January 24, 2018 at 1:36 pm

This looks so wonderful on my phone! Reminds me of snorkeling off the Hawaiian Islands. Beautiful colors and plant life, and sea creatures.

Amanda

"Real!"

Wed January 24, 2018 at 5:46 am

I love the way this fades into blueness, it is such a real look of underwater. The colours are lovely and the fish look very real too. I like that they are not too obvious so it's great when you spot one!

Paul

"Excellent work"

Sun January 21, 2018 at 10:04 pm

Once again, your images are some of the best wallpapers out there. I use them on all my computers at home, My cell phone, and my computers at work...

Tbcii

"Awesome"

Sun January 21, 2018 at 9:15 am

I have always enjoyed the underwater renders. Glad to see another one back in the mix. Personally I would love see something with your Jelly from a long time back.

As an avid diver I really appreciate the work that goes in these.

Thanks for all you do

Rick (Horseman)

"Oceana: A world unknown"

Sun January 21, 2018 at 8:49 am

This work introduces me and hopefully others to an unseen world one can only imagine.

Myles77

"Awesome"

Sun January 21, 2018 at 7:18 am

I LOVE the aquatic renders... wold like to see some more vibrant blues, greens, etc... but freakin' awesome!

Quanqued

"Great"

Sun January 21, 2018 at 2:30 am

It's a greatmstart, but I feel like the plants are almost more like a watercolor and the distance gets too washed out, while the rest is sharp and clear, so it feels a bit like two different styles in one image. The fish look good, but they're too rigid. Bodies bent in motion and fins waving in different positions would make a big difference instead of looking like they were pasted into the scene. Hope my impression helps. I love to see the underwater renders and this one is no exception.

Mangoman

""If only they could move!""

Sun January 21, 2018 at 2:19 am

Wow! This one's really nice, Ryan. The blurs notwithstanding, I really liked the colors of the coral, and every fish was spot-on. It's almost as relaxing to look at as a real aquarium. Very, very nice work, sir. Again, Kudos. You're the best.

Eyal

"Multi Screen please"

Sun January 21, 2018 at 0:01 am

This is a great piece! Now - for the Multi-Screen version...

Davin

"Good start"

Sat January 20, 2018 at 9:08 pm

I absolutely loved your previous underwater scene, but I agree that this one needs some revision. I would actually like this more without the fish. They fill out the scene, but look wrong, at least the wrong perspective (like looking at them from the side, but the rest is from the top). I think it would be great to see some other type of sea creature, something alien.

Cheers!

Josh

"One of the top DB images ever"

Sat January 20, 2018 at 12:35 pm

I love the detail and the joy of being taken down to the depths to enjoy all the color and life below. Thank you for creating such an amazing scene, Ryan!

Russ

"very well done"

Sat January 20, 2018 at 10:41 am

Having been an avid diver for over 25 years I have seen "a few" breathtaking underwater scenes. The right half of the image is spot on for a vibrant ecosystem, at around 30 feet of depth, when a strong sun ray comes through. Laminaria can have that beautiful rust/burnt orange color as you are displaying. On top of that, your light rays don't hit every object (as they shouldn't). I get that some feel the color or shape of something, reminds them of things you wouldn't expect to see, in the ocean. The fact that there are SO MANY things you would never expect, in our real ocean, combined with the fact that your were creating "something fanciful", means you have done an excellent job, taking from your mind's eye and creating a beautiful piece.

P.S.

When you dig in, you see that you have put a lot of details big and small into this. The kracken in the back is a nice touch!

Scigirl

"Lovely!"

Sat January 20, 2018 at 10:32 am

I adore undersea pieces and this one is shaping up nicely! The pink is getting to me, though. It's not a color I see when I'm snorkeling and it's distracting me from the rest, which is simply marvelous.

Xetal

"Very nice..."

Sat January 20, 2018 at 9:35 am

...but too bright, I think: lessening the light would bring it up from a 9 to a 10

Spike

"Cotton candy?"

Sat January 20, 2018 at 9:08 am

The pink and blue funnels send my brain straight to the county fair. They are very similar tints of pink and blue, and fuzzy and abstract enough that cotton candy is the only thing that I can see them as. That's really my biggest issue with the render, are those cones. I like the overall composition, light/dark balance, and the forms of creatures. The orange flower-like corals could probably use to be more striking, or more bland. I like the shapes, though; they are cool in that they look like underwater blossoms. I can see how the zoom here results in a less striking piece, though. A more detailed view of a smaller area might be a lot more engaging.

Ozaawaagosh

"Oceana"

Sat January 20, 2018 at 5:41 am

The lighting and colours are simply beautiful sort of reminds me when, I was in Diego Garcia. Awesome render my friend.

Richard H.

"Lovely"

Fri January 19, 2018 at 10:49 pm

Really lovely! And I like all the fish!

Xyverz

"Nice but grainy..."

Fri January 19, 2018 at 10:48 pm

I really do like this image, but it's really grainy, and that seems to take away from the image.

Littlemom

"Nice....But?"

Fri January 19, 2018 at 10:38 pm

I think this is a nice render but some of the flowers in the forefront look totally artificial, and I think there are to many pink flowers as well. And the depth is off a bit as well.

Phineas

"Oceana"

Fri January 19, 2018 at 10:24 pm

For some reason this makes me feel like I'm diving in blood-temperature water. Where does the sensation of warmth come from?

JMK in CT

"I like it"

Fri January 19, 2018 at 9:45 pm

Wish it were a little less cloudy but still its nice. I did notice the kraken hiding in the back.

D. C. Sessions

"Depth needs work"

Fri January 19, 2018 at 7:40 pm

Yeah, pun -- but there's no way to word around the fact that the clarity fades in only about three steps rather than gradually.

Otherwise? I like it, quite a bit. In fact I can't think of an aquascape any better.

D. C. Sessions

"Depth needs work"

Fri January 19, 2018 at 6:33 pm

Yeah, pun -- but there's no way to word around the fact that the clarity fades in only about three steps rather than gradually.

Otherwise? I like it, quite a bit. In fact I can't think of an aquascape any better.